Cain Park’s ‘A View From The Bridge’ is classic drama

During his long and highly successful career as a playwright, Arthur Miller used his talent to champion and bring to light various causes that he believed in. He was also not above using his work to teach a lesson to someone who he felt had wronged him.

A perfect example of this was in his epic play “A View From the Bridge” that began as a one act work titled “A Memory of Two Mondays” (which flopped). It was revised and expanded to two acts and became the play we know today being first staged on October 11, 1956.

The tale of obsession, improper love and paranoia was in answer to Miller’s friend Elia Kazan appearing before the House Un-American Activities Committee where he named eight members of the Group Theatre (a group of which Miller had been a member of) as members of the Communist Party. In retaliation, Miller sent Kazan a copy of “A View From the Bridge” with it’s underlying theme of betrayal. Kazan in jest offered to direct the movie to which Miller replied, "I only sent you the script to let you know what I think of stool pigeons." The two did not speak to each other for ten years but later were united for “After the Fall” which was Miller’s deeply personal recollection of his marriage to Marilyn Monroe.

In the small Brooklyn community of Red Hook (within sight of the famous bridge) Alfieri is a small time lawyer in the tight Sicilian community handling family disputes, divorces and help with criminal cases. He is the person people go to when normal traditional methods fail. Alfieri goes on to describe the violent history of the neighborhood and how it has changed to be more civilized and “more American” as folks are prepared to “settle for half” letting the established law handle their disputes.

Eddie Carbone is a decent sort. He is widowed and married to Beatrice and helps in the raising of her seventeen year old orphaned niece, Catherine. Eddie works hard to supply a home to his “family” seeing that they are well fed, housed and clothed. As Catherine begins to blossom into womanhood Eddie becomes more and more protective and fatherly towards his charge to the point of developing a growing passion for the comely teenager. We also learn that Eddie and Beatrice have not been intimate for the past three months for whatever reason.

Catherine has been studying to be a stenographer and upon the recommendation of the school principle has been offered a job paying $50 a week (more than a longshoreman makes). Eddie wants her to finish her schooling but mainly he fears losing control over her if she is employed. He makes a comment on the way she dresses and the interest that she is developing in men.

On the end of an ordinary day Eddie returns home to find that Beatrice’s two cousins, Marco and Rodolpho (two brothers) have escaped the deep poverty of current Italy and have been smuggled to America arriving in New York City as illegal immigrants. Eddie agrees to house the two, feeling it an honor to help family. Marco is soft spoken but possessing remarkable strength while Rodolpho is a bit unconventional hoping to have a singing career in America. He also knows how to cook and make dresses without using a pattern.

Marco’s family is starving in Italy and his young son is sick with TB. Marco’s plan is to work hard for several years sending money back as he earns it in order to keep them fed and to buy medicine. The equilibrium of the home is upset when Catherine and Rodolpho fall for each other and begin dating.

Eddie is convinced that Rodopho is a homosexual who is trying to get his citizenship through a sham marriage to Catherine. Eddie tells Catherine his thoughts and she in turn goes to Beatrice for advice. Beatrice begins to see the inappropriate behavior of her husband towards her niece and tells Catherine to marry Rodolpho and move out. Eddie turns to Alfieri for advice who tells him to simply let their love play out. His other advice is that legally the only recourse Eddie has is to turn Marco and Rodolpho over to immigration but he will be termed an outcast by his neighbors.

During an evening at home, Eddie tries to test Rodolpho’s “manliness” by giving him a boxing lesson. It is all fun and games until Eddie clips Rodolpho hard on the chin. Marco quietly reacts by picking up a heavy chair with one hand and holding it over Eddie’s head, smiling while doing so.

Months later, Eddie discovers that Catherine and Rodolpho have slept together and are intent on getting married. Arriving home drunk on Christmas he kisses Catherine then turns and passionately kisses Rodolpho to prove that the younger man is indeed gay. Eddie then orders Rodolpho to leave. Beatrice arranges for Marco and Rodolpho to room with two other illegals in a flat above them as the wedding is set for the following Saturday. Eddie drops a dime on the two and the immigration officers pay a visit arresting Marco and his brother.

As for this production, it is actually pretty well performed in spite of the open air ambiance of the Alma Theatre with its flapping curtain panels. Dan Zalevsky as Eddie Carbone brings the right balance of early humor and later pathos and tragedy to his role. Abraham McNeil Adams as the lawyer Alfieri could tone down his Italian accent a bit as it was hard to understand all of his dialogue. Ariana Starkman as Catherine brings a refreshing innocence to the early start of the role and develops the character nicely with a feeling of self aware maturity towards the end. Ursula Cataan as Beatrice is believable as the wise but long suffering wife. Keenan Carosielli as Rodolpho and Santino Motanez as Marco bring life to their roles. Robert Webster as Louis/Immigration Officer and Chris Bizub as Mike/Immigration Officer expand their parts making them believable. The production was aptly directed by Celeste Cosentino with Assistant Director Laura Perrotta. The depressed tenement apartment set by Walter Boswell embraces the mood of the play. While there was a lot of stray light coming in Laise Beach’s lighting design did what it could to set the various moods. The same with Brandon Drone’s Sound Design. Costumes by Jill Kenderes was period appropriate.

The one touch stone of an Arthur Miller play is it deals with stark and depressing subject matter. Fans of his work will not be disappointed in this production. The action builds slowly to its predictable climax as the cast sweeps you along.

The Cain Park production of “The View From The Bridge” will be on stage in the Alma Theatre through September 15, 2024. For more information and to purchase tickets go to www.cainpark.com or call (216) 371-3000.